Petro-Jobs by Groundwork Analytics

How to Become a Drilling Engineer

Oil & Gas Industry Career Guide · 3 current openings

Avg. Salary

Not listed

Open Positions

3

Education

Petroleum Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Companies Hiring

3

What Does a Drilling Engineer Do?

A Drilling Engineer designs and plans the drilling of oil and gas wells, selecting equipment, optimizing drilling parameters, and ensuring wells are drilled safely, efficiently, and within budget. They work closely with rig crews, service companies, and other engineers to manage the entire drilling process from spud to TD. Day-to-day responsibilities include creating well plans, monitoring drilling operations in real time, troubleshooting downhole problems, and analyzing post-well performance data to improve future operations.

Education & Certifications

Required Education

B.S. in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Key Certifications

PE License (recommended) IWCF Well Control OSHA 30-Hour

Key Skills to Develop

Based on 3 current job listings for Drilling Engineer roles

drilling (2) cementing (1)

Typical Career Path

1

Entry Level (0-3 years)

Junior Drilling Engineer / Field Drilling Engineer. Building foundational skills, learning tools, working under supervision of senior engineers.

2

Mid Level (3-7 years)

Drilling Engineer. Leading small projects, mentoring juniors, developing specialized expertise in key areas.

3

Senior Level (7-15 years)

Senior Drilling Engineer / Lead Drilling Engineer. Technical leadership, major project ownership, cross-functional collaboration.

4

Management (15+ years)

Engineering Manager / Director. Strategic planning, team management, P&L responsibility.

View detailed career path with current openings →

Salary Expectations

Avg. Minimum

N/A

Avg. Maximum

N/A

Jobs with Salary

0 of 3

BLS Reference: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median salary of $130,850 for Petroleum Engineers (SOC 17-2171) nationally (2024).

Companies Hiring Drilling Engineers

Occidental (1) Murphy Oil Corporation (1) Fervo Energy (1)

Current Drilling Engineer Openings

Field Drilling Engineer

Occidental

Midland, TX Full-Time Not listed

Offshore Field Drilling Engineer

Murphy Oil Corporation

Houston, TX Full-Time Not listed

Senior Drilling Engineer

Fervo Energy

Houston, TX Full-Time Not listed

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More Career Guides

How to Become a Project Manager How to Become a Process Engineer How to Become a Mechanical Engineer How to Become a Field Engineer How to Become a Reservoir Engineer How to Become a Production Engineer How to Become a Data Scientist How to Become a Facilities Engineer How to Become a Operations Engineer How to Become a Instrument Engineer

Compare Drilling Engineer With Other Roles

Drilling Engineer vs Project Manager Drilling Engineer vs Process Engineer Drilling Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer Drilling Engineer vs Field Engineer Drilling Engineer vs Reservoir Engineer Drilling Engineer vs Production Engineer Drilling Engineer vs Data Scientist Drilling Engineer vs Facilities Engineer